These Are the Voyages... (episode)
In a holodeck simulation aboard the Enterprise-D, Commander Riker gains an insight into life aboard the Enterprise (NX-01), shortly before the starship was decommissioned. (Series Finale) Summary Whilst the ''Enterprise''-D is en route to rendezvous with the [[USS Pegasus|USS Pegasus]], Will Riker cannot make up his mind if he should inform Captain Picard about what really happened aboard that ship when he was stationed there. To gain insight, he starts the holodeck simulation of the last voyage of the ''Enterprise''. Set 10 years after the launch of the ship, the Enterprise is returning to Earth to sign the charter which will eventually lead to the creation of the United Federation of Planets when they receive a transmission from Shran informing the crew that his daughter Talla has been kidnapped. Shran, who was presumed dead for over three years, asks Archer to return the favor he still owed him. In the mean time, Riker tries to gain as much insight in the situation as possible. He closely watches Archer and Shran discussing their plans in objective mode and occasionally switches to subjective mode to take over several characters in the simulation. In the beginning of the episode, Riker is an officer on the Enterprise bridge, later (as suggested by Counselor Troi) he becomes Enterprise's chef and in Talla's rescue operation he is a MACO. After rescuing Talla, the Enterprise resumes its course to Earth to sign the charter, when they are boarded by Talla's kidnappers, who are looking for Shran and his daughter. While protecting the ship and his captain, Commander Tucker manages to incapacitate the kidnappers, but at the cost of his own life. Once arrived on Earth, the Enterprise crew are awarded VIP seats at the signing conference where Archer is to give his historic speech. Riker, after all this, finally made up his mind and is going to tell Captain Picard what really happened on the Pegasus. Teaser In 2161, Ensigns Travis Mayweather and Hoshi Sato are on the Bridge of the NX class spacecraft ''Enterprise''. Mayweather asks Hoshi when she is expected to go back to Brazil, where she was teaching a class of language students when she left Earth. Leaning over Mayweather's helm console, Hoshi casually replies that she is due to return a couple of weeks after an upcoming ceremony - the signing of a charter between the members of an interstellar alliance. Ensign Sato tells Mayweather that she will attend several receptions following the ceremony. She adds that it will then take her at least a week to purge Enterprise's linguistic database before she returns to Brazil. Mayweather remarks that, having spent ten years on board Enterprise, it may take her some time to acclimatise to the humid Brazilian environment again. Sato replies that she will have trouble getting used to the bugs, as well as the climate. From a column near the helm, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed asks whether Captain Archer, Enterprise's commanding officer, is required to recite a speech at the upcoming ceremony. At the science station, Vulcan Commander T'Pol replies that the captain is currently working on writing the address he plans to present at the ceremony. Reed observes that the Captain hates giving speeches and notes that Archer will probably take every effort to downplay his part in the formation of the alliance. Ensign Sato likens this to Zefram Cochrane denying responsibility for the invention of warp drive. At that moment, Archer enters the Bridge from his Ready Room. He asks Sato how to pronounce the name of the Tellarite liberator, who he calls "Challash". Sato corrects him that the name is pronounced "Shallash". When asked how his speech is coming, Archer responds that, no matter how much he tries, it always reads like he's trying to take all the credit. From her station, T'Pol reports that Admiral Douglas of Starfleet Command is requesting Archer's approval of the protocols for Enterprise's decommissioning. Archer replies that, after the charter is signed at the upcoming ceremony, he will give the admiral whatever he needs to see that Enterprise is properly withdrawn from active service. As Reed shakes his head, a voice emanates from an intercom, requesting all senior officers to report to the Bridge. Immediately following the message, someone nearby calls to a computer to "freeze program", which causes Archer and his crew to freeze in place. The only person still moving is the one who gave the command, a bearded ensign who is seated at the engineering station. With the simulation paused, the man tells the computer to save the program and then to end it. As he rises, his surroundings - the bridge and crew of the NX-01 - disappear to reveal the familiar grid-like pattern of a holodeck, and an exit appears. Even the man's 22nd century Starfleet uniform morphs into that of a 24th century officer. With the holographic simulation saved, Commander William T. Riker leaves the holodeck to attend to his duties as first officer of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise-D]]. Act One :First officer's personal log, stardate 47457.1. With the unexpected arrival of Admiral Pressman, my old C.O., I find myself in an awkward position. Counselor Troi has suggested I might get a few insights by calling up an historic holoprogram. In reality, the year is 2370. Seated at a table in the Ten Forward lounge aboard the Federation starship Enterprise-D, Commander Riker and Betazoid Counselor Deanna Troi are discussing Riker's personal dilemma. Riker assures the counselor that he has told her everything he can about the situation, and to divulge any more details would mean disobeying orders. Troi then asks if he has gained any insight from the holographic program that details the final mission of the Earth Starfleet Enterprise, specifically anything about "breaking orders". Riker states he has not, but admits he has gone back a few days prior to the final mission to get a better perspective. He states he is unsure how the program will help him, but Troi sarcastically replies "that's why you run a starship, and I'm a counselor." Riker smiles at this as he takes a sip of his beverage. Afterwards, while walking with Troi through an Enterprise-D corridor, Riker tells her he was surprised that Reed was shorter than he thought Enterprise's armory officer would be. Troi speculates that the program's details might be slightly off, but Riker dismisses her theory, believing that he just expects famous people to be larger-than-life. Troi suggests that Riker may want to skip ahead to the part of the simulation where an Andorian contacts Enterprise, as she believes the program becomes more interesting after that point. She also suggests that Riker take over the ship's galley, having read that many of the NX class vessel's crew members confided in their chef, since counselors were not assigned aboard Starfleet ships at that time. Riker says he'll remember to try Deanna's suggestion and the two officers arrange to meet later for supper. Riker offers to keep Troi informed of his progress and Deanna accepts his proposal. The commander steps into a holodeck, while Troi continues through the corridor and enters a turbolift. On the simulated bridge of the NX class Enterprise, Riker has returned to the engineering station. He watches as Captain Archer expresses disbelief that Shran is apparently attempting to contact the ship. Shran, an Andorian ally of Archer's acquaintance, was believed to have died three years earlier. When a console at Ensign Sato's station indicates that Enterprise is being hailed again, she opens the communications channel. When an image of Shran appears on the main viewscreen, Archer conveys his surprise at seeing the Andorian alive. Shran apologizes and states that it was necessary for certain individuals, including Archer, to believe he was dead. The Andorian notes that Archer owes him a favor - Shran assisted the captain in the destruction of the Xindi superweapon, seven years ago. Archer replies that he has not forgotten the debt, but fears that Enterprise will not return to Earth in time for the upcoming ceremony, the signing of the charter in three days. Shran tells Archer he knows of the proposed coalition, although he is no longer as informed as when he served as a member of the Andorian Imperial Guard. For example, Shran is unaware that the interstellar alliance has agreed to sign the charter and become a reality. Shran attempts to persuade Archer that his plan would only take a few hours, but the captain dismisses the possibility of a detour. Angered that the captain will not agree to help him, the Andorian shouts that his child has been kidnapped. Shran explains that his wife, Jhamel - the Aenar female he first met during the Babel Crisis - gave birth to their daughter five years ago. The Andorian adds that his daughter was taken by "former associates" of his. Shran requests permission to come aboard Enterprise, so that he can explain the circumstances of his daughter's abduction in greater detail. Archer orders Mayweather to plot a course that will rendezvous with Shran's shuttle. At this point, Riker orders the computer to freeze the program. With the simulation paused, he then tells the computer to advance the program one hour ahead and to switch to objective mode, allowing him to move freely in the holographic environment without the characters seeing him. The holograms change positions and become animated as the computer complies with Riker's order. After the commander's uniform morphs into his 24th Century apparel, Riker leaves the engineering station and heads toward the door to the Captain's Ready Room, as T'Pol is now in command of Enterprise. In the Ready Room, Archer and Shran are discussing the Andorian's predicament when Riker passes through the holographic door. As Riker listens, Shran explains to Archer that he left the Andorian Imperial Guard despite being declared a hero because he was "a hero with a family" - staying with the Guard would have put his wife and daughter at risk. When questioned as to why the Andorian faked his own death, Shran answers that, after leaving the Guard, he became involved with some disreputable individuals who ultimately blamed him for taking something valuable out of their possession. He states that faking his own death allowed him to "disappear" with his family for three years without incident. However, six months ago, Shran's former associates found him, forcing the Andorian and his family to flee. One week prior to Shran's current discussion with Archer, the Andorian's associates crept into his house in the middle of the night while he was asleep and took his daughter. According to Shran, the kidnappers have threatened to kill the girl unless he returns their valuable item, but the Andorian swears to Archer that he is not guilty of the theft and that he has never been in possession of the item. Shran explains that, although the cost to him was great, he has managed to determine the location of his daughter's kidnappers - a trading outpost on the planet Rigel X, the first place that Enterprise visited following the starship's launch. Shran claims that he can outwit his former associates, having done it before, but that he will need at least seven of the captain's officers to succeed. Shran makes a final plea for Archer to help him rescue his daughter. Later, Riker witnesses a discussion between Archer and T'Pol in the Captain's quarters. T'Pol expresses her concern about the Andorian's plan, recalling that Archer once stated that Shran was an admitted criminal. However, the captain objects and states that the Andorian only became involved with criminals and is not necessarily a criminal himself. T'Pol declares there will be consequences if Enterprise is late for the ceremony. In response, Archer claims that if it wasn't for Shran, the Xindi weapon would have destroyed Earth and corrupted the timeline. Archer feels that he should repay his debt to the Andorian as their relationship is based on friendship and loyalty, the same characteristics that the forthcoming alliance between Humans and aliens will also be based on. When T'Pol admits to her distrust of Shran, Archer points that she has never trusted any Andorians. The captain reminds T'Pol that when he first met her ten years ago, he didn't trust her, or any other Vulcan. Eventually, T'Pol was able to help him see past his prejudice and distrust, and now it is her turn to trust Archer. The captain refuses to turn his back on Shran, and asks T'Pol to try and understand that. Reluctantly, the Vulcan agrees to try. Before T'Pol leaves, Archer asks her to visit the galley, since Chef is planning on cooking one last meal for the crew, and wants to know the favorite food of all 83 crew members aboard the starship. After she leaves, Archer assures his pet beagle, Porthos, that Chef has promised six kinds of cheese for the canine's enjoyment. Riker as the Chef of the NX class ''Enterprise''.]] Now in the simulated galley of the NX-01, Riker has switched the program back to subjective mode, allowing him to interact with the characters, and has assumed the role of Chef. T'Pol has arrived to inform Chef that, while she appreciates the gesture, it is not necessary to prepare a meal for her. "Chef Riker" insists, however, as he has already begun working on the plomeek broth - all he needs to know is the type of roots she prefers, but T'Pol states that she prefers to be surprised. When he asks the Vulcan to sit and keep him company, T'Pol complies. Chef tells her he has heard a "rumor" that he may have to cook some Andorian cabbage soup, referring to Shran coming aboard Enterprise. T'Pol worries that Enterprise has already lost five hours on the journey back to Earth by obtaining the Andorian's shuttlecraft, and now at least another day will be lost, since the ship has diverted its course to the Rigel system. When "Chef Riker" informs T'Pol that Shran's child is in danger, the Vulcan wonders if there is anything which happens aboard Enterprise that Chef doesn't know of. Rather than acknowledge the question, Riker tells T'Pol that she should have expected Archer to help Shran as the captain is a compassionate man. T'Pol comments that Archer's "compassion" has gotten himself and his crew in trouble on numerous occasions, and expresses her fear that the crew may miss the ceremony. Riker tells her not to worry, claiming that he believes Enterprise will make it to the ceremony on time. When "Chef Riker" hands the Vulcan a mug filled with tea, T'Pol seems slightly surprised. Riker tells her that the ship's doctor, Phlox, has given him an Edosian suckerfish, but T'Pol implies that she is not aware of that creature. Riker explains it looks similar to a catfish and hopes that the two kinds of fish will also taste like each other, as the ship's chief engineer, Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker loves to eat catfish. Riker asks T'Pol if she ever misses Commander Tucker, as the Vulcan had been romantically involved with the engineer until 2155. T'Pol logically answers that she spent that morning recalibrating the plasma relay with Tucker. Eventually, T'Pol understands that Chef is referring to their past relationship and states that, as a Vulcan, she does not "miss" people. When asked if Tucker is as concerned about missing the ceremony as she is, T'Pol answers that Tucker rarely questions the Captain's decisions. She adds that the engineer does not follow orders blindly, but agrees with Archer most of the time because he trusts the Captain. As she begins assisting Chef in peeling carrots, T'Pol reveals that her most important concern was following orders before she joined Enterprise's crew. During the time she has spent with humans, however, she has learned to embrace the illogical human discipline of following one's own instincts. Grateful for the Vulcan's advice, Riker orders the computer to freeze the program. He then kisses T'Pol on the cheek and thanks her. Act Two Later in the conference lounge of the Enterprise-D, Riker is using a wall viewer to search through the service profiles of officers who served and died aboard the ill-fated [[USS Pegasus|USS Pegasus]], on which Riker served as an ensign under the command of then-Captain Erik Pressman twelve years ago. Among the profiles he views are those of Commander Ronald Moore, Lieutenant Dawn Velazquez, Crewmen Eric Motz and Andy Simonson, and Ensign Phil Wallace. Riker had stopped at the latter when Troi enters the lounge, having been looking for the commander. When Troi acknowledges Wallace's profile as that of an officer whom Riker served with on Pegasus, the first officer tells her that Wallace was not only "a hell of a handball player" but was also about to be promoted by Pressman. The counselor then inquires as to how many died aboard the Pegasus, to which Riker answers 71 - all but nine of the entire crew. Troi then asks his feelings on the discovery that the Pegasus was not destroyed, to which he claims indifference as its crewmembers still died. The counselor then asks whether he believes he was somehow responsible, to which Riker, now obviously agitated, replies that Troi should be able to answer that since she's the empath. To this, Troi states her belief that it is something besides guilt -- something about seeing the Pegasus once more. Riker then strongly requests they change the subject. Complying with her friend's wishes, Troi asks how things have been going on the holodeck. Riker explains that Enterprise has picked up the Andorian and are now on their way to Rigel X. He also tells her she was correct about taking over as Chef, explaining that T'Pol had opened up to him. The counselor then asks if he's had a chance to meet Commander Tucker, to which he replies he has not as he has yet to visit engineering. He then asks her if she has ever spent any time on the NX-01, and she replies that she's never run the holoprogram. He then asks if she's ever visited the actual ship, now located in the Starfleet Museum. Troi replies that she may have as a child, but she tends to get all of the museum ships confused. Riker then gives Troi the opportunity to visit the historic vessel by inviting the counselor to join him in the holodeck. Troi gratefully objects, stating she has an appointment in an hour, but Riker insists, extending his hand for hers and assuring her she'll make that appointment in plenty of time. The counselor gives in and accompanies Riker to the holodeck. Within the simulated confines of Captain Archer's Ready Room, Riker, sitting at Archer's desk, remarks to Troi that the brig of the Enterprise-D is bigger than this room. Troi replies that much can change in 200 years. As Riker stands, his head almost collides with the bulkhead of the room's ceiling, but Troi is able to alert him and Riker avoids the bulkhead without incident. The commander then observes that there was no fish tank in Archer's ready room, unlike the ready room of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the commanding officer of the Enterprise-D. Troi sarcastically remarks on Archer's inability to survive without a fish tank as she heads towards the door leading back to the NX-01's bridge, only to find that the door does not open automatically, unlike those installed on the Enterprise-D. As Troi looks at the door with a confused expression, Riker politely steps forward and presses the button which opens the doors. Troi gratefully acknowledges her friend's assistance and the two of them step out onto the bridge. On the bridge, Riker points that, while Archer did not have a fish, he did have a pet dog. As she walks towards the captain's chair, Troi remembers the animal as having the name of one of the musketeers, and Riker reminds her that the name was Porthos. Seated in Archer's command chair, Troi acknowledges the seat's comfortableness. Riker, being the first officer of the Enterprise-D, takes note that there is no seat for his position on the NX-01. Troi, now heading towards T'Pol's science station, tells Riker that Archer may not have made as much of a fuss as Picard as to who sits in his chair. She then presses a switch on the science console, activating the viewer scope, which extends from its place within the console. Troi remarks that she remembers seeing one of these scopes in a photograph, and Riker comments that the Constitution class ''Enterprise'', commanded by the legendary James T. Kirk, also had such a device. Minutes later and still on the holographic NX class Enterprise, Riker is leading Troi down an empty corridor towards the ship's engineering section. Troi notes that a ship without its crew produces a feeling of loneliness, so Riker tells the computer to add the appropriate crew complement but to remain in objective mode. After several working NX-01 personnel appear within the corridor, Troi states her relief at the sight and continues on towards engineering with Riker. In engineering, Riker and Troi observe a conversation between the holographic Reed and Tucker, the latter of whom is at work on the ship's warp five engine. Reed expresses his concerns to Tucker about journeying to Rigel X and also expresses his doubt that Shran's plan will be as easy as the Andorian claims it will be. Tucker, however, dismisses this, stating his belief that the captain would not put the ship in danger so close to the signing the charter for the insterspecies alliance. When Reed inquires as to what Tucker is presently working on, the chief engineer replies that he purging the injectors of the ship's engine. After Tucker orders another engineer to clean the remaining three deuterium filters that have yet to be attended to, Reed questions the neccessity of all of this, since the Enterprise will be withdrawn from service within a week's time. But Tucker replies that he had practically built the engine and plans on taking care of it until the last minute. The chief engineer then takes a long, reminiscent look around his engineering area before explaining that the NX-01 has had "a hell of a run" and that he never thought he would see it end. To this, Reed simply replies with a sigh, "All good things." With a slight nod, Tucker sadly acknowledges this phrase as correct. Reed then relates Archer's belief that there will be another Enterprise before long, but that it just won't be the same. Tucker tells the armory officer that, even so, it'll be okay as the ship will still be called Enterprise. The engineer then lays a friendly hand on Reed's shoulder, and the two leave the engine room, passing by Riker and Troi, who had been witnessing the discussion in objective mode, leaning against an engine pylon. As the NX-01 officers leave, Troi tells Riker how sad she feels that Commander Tucker had no way of knowing he would not make it back after the mission. In the situation room at the rear of the NX-01's bridge, Riker and Troi listen as Archer, T'Pol, and Shran are discussing the latter's plan. Archer asks the Andorian how reliable his sources are, to which Shran replies that while his sources may be thieves, they are honorable thieves, and they promised that his daughter, Talla, was being held on Level Four of Rigel's mining outpost. Shran then asks the T'Pol if she was able to duplicate the Teneebian amethyst, the valuable item which Shran's former associates believe the Andorian stole. T'Pol informs him that although the photograph of the amethyst he gave them had poor resolution, she believes the ship's replication of the precious gem will appear authentic to the criminals. Shran warns her that the amethyst was of flawless design, and that his associates will likely have equipment with them to test the gem's authenticity. But T'Pol guarantees the Andorian that the thieves will need a spectral micrometer to realize it is a fake. Archer then asks Shran how many of his former partners he believes will show up at their location, but before the Andorian can answer, Troi calls for the computer to freeze the program. When the holographic characters freeze in place, the counselor takes a look at Archer and tells Riker that she finds the NX-01 captain to be "cute". Riker tells her not to get any ideas, and Troi laughs. The counselor then departs, telling Riker that her next client, Reginald Barclay, will be unhappy if she is late for his appointment. She then asks Riker if he is going to remain on the holodeck. After he states his intentions to stay for a while, Troi wishes the first officer good luck before calling up the arch and exiting the holodeck. Now alone on the holographic bridge of the NX-01, Riker asks the computer how long it will be before the Enterprise reaches Rigel X, to which the computer replies it will take over 16 hours. Riker then tells the computer to advance to that point, but to remain in objective mode. The holographic characters shift locations as the scene shifts to 16 hours later. The planet Rigel X is now seen on the bridge's main viewscreen. Archer tells Mayweather to move the Enterprise into a stationary orbit, and the helmsman affirms the order. As Archer and Shran head for the turbolift, he orders Reed to assemble an away team and to meet them in the ship's launch bay. As Shran and Reed enter the turbolift, Trip steps into the captain's path. Worried for the captain's safety, the engineer tells Archer that he and the others can complete this mission without the captain's assistance. He reminds his friend and commanding officer of the importance of Archer's presence at the upcoming ceremony, calling it the biggest day of the captain's life. Archer appreciatively dismisses his chief engineer's concerns, noting the irony that Rigel X was the first planet they visited and how it will now be the last. "Poetic justice", the captain observes. He then asks why Tucker should have all the "fun" and joins Shran and Reed in the turbolift and a reluctant Tucker follows a moment later. Aboard Shuttlepod 2 heading for the surface of Rigel X, Riker has switched the simulation to subjective mode and is now playing the role of a MACO with the rank of corporal. With him is Mayweather, who is piloting the shuttle, along with T'Pol and Trip. Mayweather alerts the other passengers that the shuttle is passing through the planet's troposphere and that they will experience some minor turbulance. Following this warning, T'Pol asks Trip if he has yet to visit Chef. Tucker replies that he did so first thing in the morning, then asked if she had been down to see him. With a nod, T'Pol acknowledges that she had, then informs the engineer that Chef had talked about him. She then corrects this statement, saying Chef actually spoke about both of them. As the shuttlepd shakes due to turbulance, Trip asks what Chef was saying about them, but T'Pol, now wishing to bring the subject to a close, claims it was not important. Trip, however, wonders why she brought it up if it hadn't been important. The conversation seems to be at and end, but T'Pol then reluctantly asks Trip if he ever misses her since the end of their relationship. After Trip remarks on how long it has been since then, he confesses that does, indeed, miss her at times. The Vulcan commander then tells him she had not thought about their relationship in a long time, to which Tucker quickly relates that as a benefit of being a Vulcan. Acknowledging the comment, T'Pol continues, telling him that, after speaking with Chef, she realized it is possible that she and Trip will never see each other again, as they will be taking different assignments. Trip interrupts her, guaranteeing her that they will stay in touch with each other and that they are sure to see each other again. T'Pol then confesses that, no matter how long it is until they next see each other, she believes that she will miss him. Sitting across from the two, "Corporal" Riker has, of course, overheard the entire discussion. Just then, the voice of Archer, who had been piloting Shuttlepod 1 ahead of Shuttlepod 2, comes over the intercom. The captain informs the occupants of Shuttlepod 2 that Shran has made contact with the kidnappers on Rigel X and that everybody was prepared. Archer then states his intentions to lead Shuttlepod 2 onto the surface, and Mayweather acknowledges. The two shuttlepods then continue their descent onto the frigid surface of Rigel X. On the planet's surface, Shran and T'Pol cautiously arrive at the mining outpost. In his hands, Shran holds the casing which carries the fabricated amethyst. As the Vulcan and Andorian walk closer, a voice tells them to stop where they are. As T'Pol and Shran comply, several armed, shady-looking alien figures appear out of the darkness. One appears behind the new arrivals, weapon raised. The leader of the group, a green-skinned, lizard-like alien with a ridge running down the middle of his face, addresses Shran. He sarcastically states that, as he recalls, Shran had no clue as to the whereabouts of the amethyst. Shran demands to see his daughter, and the alien leader remarks how a missing child has a tendency to jog one's memory. He then asks about Shran's female Vulcan accomplice, to which Shran tells the alien not to question his associates since Shran doesn't question those of the kidnapper's. The alien then tells Shran to put the case on the ground and open it, but T'Pol insists that Shran's daughter first be returned safely. When the alien threatens to shoot both Shran and T'Pol, the Vulcan assures him that, if he does, the criminals will never be able to open the case. The alien leader then asks Shran if has now resorted to allowing a Vulcan to negotiate for him, but the Andorian tells the criminal to do as she says. The alien leader then has his accomplices bring out Talla, who attempts to run to her father but is held back by the alien which has her by the hand. Shran asks his daughter how she is, to which she replies she is hungry. The alien leader then demands that Shran open the case. He complies, allowing T'Pol to enter in the code on the case until the latches pop open. Shran removes the lid to reveal the amethyst inside. The alien leader then tells Shran to set the case on the ground, and the Andorian does so, shoving the case towards the aliens. The leader then tells Shran and T'Pol to back away, and as they do so, Shran demands that T'Pol be allowed to take Talla to safety. The alien leader agree, but tells Shran that he must stay, and that one wrong move will leave Talla without a father. The alien associate releases Talla, and the little girl runs to her kneeling father's arms. Shran embraces his child, then tells her to go with T'Pol, that she will be safe with the Vulcan and will give her food. Talla looks up at wearily at T'Pol, but Shran asks her to obey him. T'Pol takes the little girl by the hand and begins to lead her away, but not before placing a reassuring hand on Shran's shoulders. Shran graciosuly acknowledges her gesture with a smile and watches as T'Pol and Talla leave the scene. The alien leader then tells Shran to step back further. Shran does so, and the leader bends down and begins analyzing the amethyst with a scanning device. As he does so, Shran continues to slowly step back, and gazes up at a catwalk above, where Archer and Tucker have been watching. As Shran raises his arm to cover his eyes, Archer gives Tucker a nod, and the engineer activates a device in his hand. Suddenly, repeated pulses of piercing blue light emanate from the fabricated amethyst, blinding the alien criminals who cry out in pain and anger as Shran pushes past the alien behind him, also momentarily blinded, and escapes. The alien leader grabs the pulsing gemstone and tosses it out of view and he and his men chase after Shran. They don't get very far, however, when they are bombarded by phase pistol and phase rifle fire from the Enterprise away team. As the aliens scramble to find cover, Reed, holding a phase pistol, tells them they will not be harmed so long as they don't move. But the aliens, having found some cover, begin to fire back at the officers. Archer and Tucker, still on the same catwalk, also join the fray, each firing a phase pistol. Firing phase rifles from another catwalk are two MACOs, one of which is Riker. Although one MACO is hit, the Enterprise officers soon gain the upper hand, taking out all of the criminals save for the leader, who continues to fire from his cover behind a wall. As the away team continues to fire at the leader, he aims and fires at the support beams holding up the catwalk on which Archer and Tucker are holding ground. The support beam breaks apart, and the part of the catwalk on which Tucker is kneeling collapses. The engineer tumbles, but is able to grab onto the broken end of the catwalk. As the alien continues firing in their direction, Archer moves to help Tucker back up while still firing at the alien leader. The captain tells his friend to hang on and manages to grab ahold of Tucker and push the engineer up to safety just as a shot from Reed incapacitates the alien leader. Grunting and pulling himself up using the catwalk's railing, Tucker thanks his "boss", to which Archer, breathing heavily, replies "Any time." Act Three In the NX-01 launch bay, both shuttlepods have redocked following the successful and their occupants are beginning to climb out. As Shran climbs up out of the shuttlepod, the Andorian asks Captain Archer, who is climbing out of the same pod behind him, if he is sure there will be no problem if he and Talla were to remain aboard for a few hours. The captain replies that he feels more comfortable escaping from Shran's former associates at warp four, to which Shran states that, while the Andorian's shuttle may be slow, his associates' ships can barely approach warp two. Archer is adamant, however, but assures Shran that he will be under his own power by the following night, and that the Enterprise will contact Jhamal and tell her to expect Shran and Talla's arrival the next morning. Shran gives archer a light, friendly punch in the arm, reminding the captain of his guarantee that the mission would only take a few hours. To this, Archer replies, "You're welcome." As Shran chuckles, he walks over and kneels to pick up a happy Talla into his arms. Archer suggests that Shran take his daughter to see Doctor Phlox before going to their quarters, to which Shran offers no argument. Still in her father's arms, Talla thanks the pink skin that helped save her. Both Archer and Shran smile as the latter takes his daughter from the launch bay. Trip steps up to Archer and states that his captain is likely getting tired of saving the engineer's life. Archer smiles and responds that was glad he did not take Trip's advice and stay behind, an assessment Trip agrees with. Then the engineer points out that Archer almost got himself killed as well, and observes that, had that happened, it would not have gone over too well at the upcoming ceremony. To this, Archer quips that signing documents is easy, but training a new engineer can be "a real pain in the ass." Smiling, the two friends exit the launch bay together. Meanwhile, the Enterprise-D has entered an asteroid field in the Devolin system in search of the USS Pegasus. In her quarters, Counselor Troi is working on a PADD at her desk when she receives a call from the ship's android operations manager and second officer, Lieutenant Commander Data. The andoid officer asks the counselor if this would be a good time to continue their discussion on the effects space travel on his positronic net. Troi quietly grimaces before asking if she could give Data a "rain check." The android, apparently hearing this phrase for the first time, tells the counselor that she may check him for rain if she wanted to, but assured her that he was not comprised of water. As Troi laughs, the door bell of her quarters chimes, and the counselor tells Data she will get back to him. She then rises to greet whoever is at the door and informs them to come in. The doors open to reveal Riker, with an obvious sense of desperation on his face. The first officer apologizes by acknowledging that it is past her office hours, but Deanna bids him to come in. The two sit next to a window where asteroids can be seen floating by the ship. Riker tells the counselor that it won't be long before the Pegasus is found, and Troi infers that the commander had not yet made a decision. She then asks about the holodeck program, and Riker answers that the Shran's daughter had just been rescued. Troi observes that Riker is coming to the moment of truth in the simulation as well as in reality. Riker then tells the counselor that she must promise to keep what he is about to tell her in strict confidence, and she replies that he knows she will do so. He then asks what she knows about the Treaty of Algeron. She replies that it took place in 2311 and that it reaffirmed the Romulan Neutral Zone. Riker then adds in that the treaty also outlawed the use of cloaking technology aboard Federation starships. Troi is shocked as the realization hits her: Pegasus was using cloaking technology in violation of the treaty. Riker explains that a group at Starfleet Security had secretly developed a prototype cloaking device, and that the then-Captain Erik Pressman, in command of the Pegasus, was in charge of testing it. Troi deduces this as the reason why Starfleet is so eager to locate the remains of the Pegasus before the Romulans do. Riker further explains that the accident which claimed 71 lives was the result of a failed test of the cloaking device. Troi then notes that the incident was covered up, to which Riker affirms that the nine officers that survived - including himself - were sworn to secrecy and ordered never to disclose any information about the mission. The counselor wonders how the first officer could have lived with that for the past twelve years, but Riker then informs her that, according to Pressman, Starfleet Security wishes to pick up the experiment where it was left off. Riker realizes that what they are doing is immoral and could jeopardize the long-held treaty. Troi realizes that Riker wishes to explain all of this to Captain Picard, but Riker is at a stand-still, as he swore an oath of secrecy to Pressman, who now outranks Picard. Acknowledging her friend's predicament, Troi tells Riker that he did not get this far ahead in his career by making easy decisions and that she is confident he will make the correct decision. Riker, however, expresses doubt, wishing he, too, was as confident that he would make the right choice. Act Four Background Information * This is the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. It is the first series finale since "The Counter-Clock Incident" to not be a feature-length episode. * Allan Kroeker previously directed the final episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. * This is the second Star Trek series finale in which Jeffrey Combs (Commander Shran) appears. He also played Weyoun in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series finale "What You Leave Behind". * With the addition of this episode, Jonathan Frakes has appeared in all of the Star Trek spinoffs. In The Next Generation and Voyager's "Death Wish", he featured as Commander William T. Riker. In DS9's "Defiant", he reprised his role from TNG's "Second Chances" as Thomas Riker. * This episode takes its name from the opening narrations in episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation. * As of this episode, Jonathan Frakes (Commander William T. Riker) and Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi) have both played the same character on three different Star Trek series. The only other actors to do so are Armin Shimerman (Quark), John de Lancie (Q), Michael Ansara (Kang) and Richard Poe (Gul Evek). * Brent Spiner provides his voice as Lt. Commander Data, but does not actually appear in this episode. * This is the only Star Trek series not to have any changes in its regular cast throughout its entire run. * Scott Bakula (Captain Jonathan Archer), Jolene Blalock (T'Pol) and Connor Trinneer (Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III) are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series. * The episode actually takes place on the holodeck of the USS Enterprise-D in 2370, during the episode TNG: "The Pegasus." * Insinuates that Archer's speech was actually the opening intro "Space, the final frontier..." to two of the Star Trek series' *This episode features five actors who appeared in three previous Star Trek finales: Majel Barrett appeared in TOS: "Turnabout Intruder" and TNG: "All Good Things...", Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner also all appeared in TNG: "All Good Things..." and Jeffrey Combs appeared in DS9: "What You Leave Behind". *Porthos is the only character, besides the regulars, to appear in both this episode and the pilot "Broken Bow". *The series pilot, "Broken Bow", begins with the line "...where no man has gone before." This episode, the series finale, ends with the line "...where no man has gone before." *This is the first appearance of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise-D]] since its destruction in Star Trek: Generations. *The only exterior shot of the NX-01 Enterprise in this episode is from the closing montage. *Rigel X was also the first place the Enterprise visited in "Broken Bow". *The ceremony witnessed at the end of the episode is apparently not the signing of the Federation Charter, as is commonly believed, but rather the signing of the charter ratifying the Coalition of Planets, which soon lead to the formation of the Federation. This is evidenced by Deanna's remark to Will that "this alliance will give birth to the Federation." Nitpicks One has to wonder why no security officers or MACOs arrived when the Enterprise was boarded by Shran's former associates. In the several minutes it took from T'Pol's announcement of their arrival to Tucker's sacrifice, a whole squad of reinforcements should have arrived and dealt with the situation. It's possible that the intruders did something to prevent such an interruption (i.e. force fields), but if so, it was never established on screen. Memorable Quotes "Here's to the ''next generation." : - '''Archer', with a toast with Trip "All good things..." : - Malcolm, talking about the voyages of ''Enterprise'' "Don't move, and you won't be hurt." : - Malcolm Reed, during pistol fight "I'm hungry." : - Talla "Thanks, pink-skin." : - Talla "Our brig is bigger than this!" : - Riker, showing Archer's ready room to Troi "Computer, end program." : - Riker, (final line) "Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship ''Enterprise. Its continuing mission-''" - Captain Picard :"''-to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, and new civilizations-''" - Captain Kirk ::"''-to boldly go where no man has gone before." - '''Captain Archer' Links and References Guest Stars *Jonathan Frakes as William T. Riker *Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi *Jeffrey Combs as Shran *Jonathan Schmock as Alien *Solomon Burke as Ensign *Jef Ayres as Med Tech *Jasmine Anthony as Talla *Majel Barrett as Computer Voice *E. Michael Fincke as Engineer *Mark Correy as Alex (uncredited) *Brent Spiner as the voice of Data (uncredited) *Patrick Stewart as the voice of Jean-Luc Picard (archive voiceover, uncredited) *William Shatner as the voice of James T. Kirk (archive voiceover, uncredited) References alliance; Andorians; Andorian cabbage soup; Archer, Henry; Barclay, Reginald; Brazil; brig; bridge; catfish; cheese; chef; Cochrane, Zefram; dog; Douglas; Edosian suckerfish (Edosians); ''Enterprise'', USS; ''Enterprise''-D, USS; Federation Charter; holodeck; intruder alert; Jhamel; launch bay; linguistic database; Livingston (fish); Museum; Observation Lounge; ''Pegasus'', USS; photograph; Plomeek broth; Porthos; Pressman, Eric; Rigel X; senior staff; Shallash; spectral micrometer; tea; Tellarites; Ten Forward; Teneebians; Teneebian amethyst; Treaty of Algeron; United Federation of Planets; Vulcans; warp engine; Warp Five Complex; whiskey; Xindi superweapon Category:ENT episodes nl:These Are the Voyages...